Aftermarket steering quickeners are typically used to improve the response time and overall handling of factory-installed steering systems. These steering quickeners are typically used in certain classes of racing automobiles, which typically do not allow the use of aftermarket steering systems. However, these same classes do allow the use of steering quickeners, which may be installed into an OEM (Original Equipment Manufacture) or factory-installed steering system. When a steering quickener is employed in an automobile, the driver of the automobile can turn the steering wheel a smaller distance, compared to an OEM or factory-installed steering system without a steering quickener, to turn the vehicle the same degree. This is highly desirable in racing automobiles where steering response is critical.
Conventional steering quickeners are typically designed so that an output shaft travels around the inside of a circular toothed gear (see prior art FIG. 1). This design creates much more instability within the steering quickener itself and results in much less torque, and less torque handling ability of the steering quickener.
Conventional steering quickeners are generally comprised of, among other things, a housing containing spur gears. This housing typically also contains grease. The grease contained with conventional steering quickeners acts as a lubricant to the internal components of the steering quickener. However, after a period of use the grease fails to provide adequate lubrication to the internal components within the housing. Once this occurs, there is increased friction, and resistance among the moving internal components, which results in damage to the internal components and decreases the useful life of the steering quickener.
Conventional steering quickeners also typically include one pair of spur gears (see prior art FIG. 1). This means that at any given time there is only one pair of spur gear teeth in contact with one another. This substantially limits the torque carrying capacity for a given gear pitch of these conventional steering quickeners. Additionally, the teeth on the one pair of spur gears is generally flat and not designed to increase the torque carrying capacity, or transfer the torque carrying capacity, evenly throughout the teeth of the gear so there is an evenly dispersed torque carrying load on the planetary gear teeth.
Surprisingly, Applicants have developed an in-line steering quickener that has at least two pairs of planetary gear teeth always in contact with one another. The input gear and the output gear are substantially in-line with one another, which results in a higher torque carrying capacity for a given gear pitch. Additionally, the teeth of the planetary gears are designed to evenly distribute the torque carrying capacity of the steering quickener which allows the use of lighter weight construction materials and less expensive construction materials, while maintaining the same or greater torque carrying capacity.